Point Perch

Description /

B.Lab is the Building Lab design/build program in the Architecture Department at AAU. The goal is to cultivate and foster a spirit of diversity, equity, and advocacy for future collaborative practice among students. This project is the first official project that begins our partnership with the Hunters Point Community in San Francisco. The goal is to transform an underutilized outdoor space and transform it into a vibrant community space.

Approach /

To design a real scale project, we’ve been working with the Hunter’s Point Community through workshops and outreach for the past year to together develop, design and build an outdoor gathering area that provides a stage and seating for various local events such as a women’s empowerment group meeting, fashion shows, and teen hangouts.

Six Broadway Residential

Description /

To design a comprehensive residential project proposal for an urban setting. The site is along the waterfront in San Francisco’s Embarcadero district. The challenges of the project are its triangular site and sustainable approaches. The self-contained community program includes a housing complex, farmers markets, Center for Environmental Activism(CFEA)) and retail.

Approach /

The site is at the edge of where the old city grid meets the new expanded waterfront grid. These major streets create conditions that weave together pedestrian and vehicle circulation. These elements leave intangible traces of how people interact with their surroundings. The concept behind the project is to reveal the historical shoreline, to create a water system that flows through the space and programs for residents amenities.

Urban Village

Description /

Propose a mid-rise where structure and envelope are thoughtfully integrated. Explore how site design, building massing, program, structure, and envelope are inextricably related. Question the current typology of the skyscraper, identify its limits, and propose new ways for the tower to engage the city.

Approach /

The project improves engagement between students and society by allotting a space for community education. This space is used as a culinary school which provides career training for neighborhood residents. Beginning culinary students learn how to grow food, how to cook, how to work in a restaurant and participate and engage with customers. The building includes a hydroponic farm, public open space and a food court. The goal is to attract the public into the building to not only eat food prepared by the cooking school, but also to meet other people and share the dining experience. The building will act as a catalyst for the emerging restaurants in the Tenderloin. “Pop-up restaurants” give students a chance to show off their skills and to work in a realistic restaurant environment. This project intends to provide both gainful employment opportunities and a service to the community..

Mitchell Canyon Visitor Center

Description /

Design a sanctuary/visitor’s center in a mountain climate. We learn the fundamentals of sustainable building design, assessing materiality, building orientation, and building performance to create an environment which supports contemplation and education. The goal is to design a visitor center in Mount Diablo, which has the gravel surface and is surrounded by trees.

Approach /

The design treats architecture as a careful intervention to the site. The design preserves the trees, gravel and other natural features on the site. The building initially runs along the ground, but then projects out of the landscape to reduce the environmental impact of the building volume. The visitor center functions as a gateway. The concept is to create an experience for the visitors as they circulate and transition between the interior space and the landscape. The building acts as a medium of interaction with the site, mitigating the building’s form, so visitors focus more on the natural environment.

San Francisco Fire Station Eight

Description /

The design explores the role of architecture within the context of evolving urban environments. It unearths the history, currency, and culture of urban terrain while developing a mindful discipline for articulating a stance and conceiving a responsive program within the parameters of a specific site.

Approach /

The program of the hybrid fire station is focused on the connection between the fire station and artist residence. Firefighters have to work under intense conditions which usually aren’t noticed by the public. Having an artist live in the fire station allows them to create artworks or documentary to demonstrate the life of firefighters. The artist will have a gallery in the fire station to present their artworks. The gallery improves the visibility of the fire station and provides a safe place for community to gather. The station is cover with polycarbonate panel which allows the building to be translucent and illuminated at night.

Biomimetic Responsive Structure

Description /

Develop two and three dimensional drawings and experiment with model-making techniques based on specific methods of design. Focus on understanding the behavioral aspects of space with structure while emphasizing the design process and rule-driven design methodology.

Approach /

Albany Bulb is a man-made structured peninsula that was created with construction debris such as concrete and rebar that was pushed into the bay from 1939-1983. In the years to follow, vegetation began to form, making a habitat for wildlife. The tide acts as a trigger for the mutation of the land just as people act as a trigger for the spaces to mutate. The design seeks patterns in natural growth and behavior and translates those behaviors into a tectonic system that forms the design.

Highline Performing Art Theater

Description /

Apply design principles, process and thinking in the design of an assembly building. As part of the study, we focus on architectural programming, diagramming and a critical analysis of site and context. Explored the role of society, community, and culture in the development of a critical viewpoint. Structural systems and architectural access will be integrated in the design process.

Approach /

Inspiration was taken from a narrative developed about the location. The narrative-driven structure allows architecture to accommodate different spatial uses such as a theater, classroom and retail. The analytical site model integrates the original site conditions on Highline and further develops into a sequential tectonic language to express the architectural elements.

Natural Forming

Description /

Based on the significant of architecture I chose, gather sufficient documentation to allow for a careful examination of both the historical and theoretical framing of the precedent. After abstracting repeatedly, and deconstructing the original concept of the choosen case study, formulate another process that is fabricated into a model. It is a travel of discover the essence of our perception.

Approach /

To express the Idea from 2D to 3D, I generate a abstract 3D model from Rhino based on the condition of thickness during seasonal change of the weather. The model was lofted vertically representing the elevation of the building created by the weather change. The final version of the model towards the idea of blending landscape with the building, to make the building become part of the landscape allowing them to coexist. The final model use epoxy resin mixed with ink in order to represent this concept, the integration of to nature.

Personal Works

Description /

Architecture is about everything. A lot of architects not only design their own buildings but sometimes they also design furniture, art installations, etc. As a designer, I am always curious about how everything can be designed that affect our society and makes the world better. The following projects showcase some of my personal interesting in similar area.